The Windsor Star from Windsor, Ontario, Canada • 15

ENTERTAINMENT Tuesday, August 5. 2003 B5i The Hulk; lucrative as game ROLLCALL I By Neil Davidson the canadian press American Wedding tops box office LOS ANGELES ff weekend's top movie, American Wedding, glowed rlike a happy newlywed, then you could say the critically re-r viled Gigli stumbled like an ugly bridesmaid. The third film in the raunchy American Pie sex comedies, American Wedding collected $34.3 million US to debut at No. 1, according to studio estimates Sunday American Wedding stars Jason Biggs and Alyson Hanni-rgan as oddball sweethearts Jim and Michelle, whose mar-triage festivities are ruined by the antics of loudmouth Sti- tier, played by Seann William Scott. I The Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez movie Gigli debuted dis-fmally following weeks of toxic buzz and near-unanimous critical revulsion.

The comedy about a gangster who falls in rlove with a lesbian rival earned $3.8 million. Ticket sales for the year's highest-grossing movie, Finding rNemo, fell by only 13 per cent in its 10th week. It earned $3.8 million, for a total of $320 million, and tied for seventh place with Gigli. I Meanwhile, the horseracing drama Seabiscuit expanded (its run by 434 theatres, coming in fourth with $17.5 million, for a total of $49 million. Others included: I 5.

Bad BovsII. $12.7 million. He's big, green and mean. And thanks to Vancouver's Radical Entertainment, the Hulk is now a made-in-Canada video game. I The Hulk, available for GameCubej PlayStation, Xbox and PC, sold 400,000 copies the first month and trailed only Enter the Matrix on North American rental charts and in sales during its five weeks on the shelf It has also been a top-five game in Britain, where th game and movie were released later Radical hopes the Hulk will hit a mil lion in sales this year with the game re ceiving an additional boost when the movie is released on DVD.

The game 18 months in product tion has also earned Radical som big-time coverage in specialty magai zines, with cover stories in both the ofi ficial PlayStation magazine and PSM. Radical is no stranger to success. If has sold two million copies of The Simpsons Road Rage. Other games in its archive of two dozen titles include Dark Angel and Dark Summit Turning the Hulk into a video game was a challenge, notes Tim Bennison, an eight-year veteran of Radical who oversaw production on the project I Several generations i DOWN FOR THE COUNT: Actors Tate Donovan and Mischa Barton, pivotal characters in Fox's new series I ne o.c, are photographed by a set photographer during filming of the show. The hour-long drama, set in Orange County, premieres tonight.

Associated press photo: Damian Dovarganes Orange County rich folk in the spotlight 6. Lara Croft: Tomb raider The Cradle of Life, $1 1.3 million. 7. (tie) Finding Nemo, $3.8 million. 7.

(tie) Gigli, $3.8 million. 9. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, $3.2 million. 10. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, $2.9 million.

pixie Chicks get warm welcome The Associated Press NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARK. The backlash the Dixie Chicks rpreivpH pnrii for comments about President George Bush seemed like ancient nistory during a weekend concert The Alltel Arena packed in its biggest audience ever 17,065 people for a concert Saturday night by the Texas trio. The country stars endured criticism after singer Natalie Maines made a remark ahnnt vHaa. iiiuuivo oaiu one wag I ashamed that the president is from her home state of Tpvae I But the enthusiastic Arkansas crowd cheered wildly through the 110-minute set. Eminem wants judge to dismiss lawsuit DETROIT Eminem wants a $1 million US lawsuit filed against him jby a former schoolmate to be dismissed.

The Grammy-winning rapper, born Marshall Mathers is scheduled to appear in Macomb County Circuit Court on i Aug. 18 to ask Judge Deborah Servitto to dismiss the case, DeAngelo Bailey sued Eminem in 2001. He claimed the 30-' year-old rapper's song Brain Damage, which named Bailey a bully, damaged his reputation and his own ability to launch a music career. Eminem's lawyer, Peter Peacock, jsaid the song is true because Bailey beat up Eminem when jthey were in the fourth and sixth grades. grow up in Orange County Schwartz hopes his show, which he says has nothing to do with the 2002 comedy film Orange County, will play universally.

He describes it as exploring situations and emotions "like the stuff of (John) Cheever short stories of East Coast suburban angst, except that it's just warmer and the people are healthier!" Warner Bros, doesn't shoot the series in Orange County, opting for Los Angeles County coastal communities such as Malibu and Rancho Palos Verdes. All are within the 50-km "studio circle" and aren't subject to out-of-town travel expenses required by the Hollywood craft unions. Few in the cast are from California. Seventeen-year-old Barton's home base is New York. Peter Gallagher, who plays Sandy Cohen, a Bronx-born lawyer who has moved West, lives on the East Coast Kelly Rowan, who plays Cohen's wife, grew up in Toronto.

Newcomer Benjamin McKenzie, who plays a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks taken into the Cohens' home, is from Austin, Tex. When asked what he knew about Orange County before landing the role, the 24-year-old McKenzie replies: "Nothing." "I still don't." he adds. Aware that he's playing the complete outsider the audience's conduit into The O.C. world McKenzie has deliberately avoided checking out the real scene. Instead, to better understand his back-story role, the actor spent time hanging around malls in less prosperous communities of Southern California.

Gallagher says this series about a wealthy enclave appealed to him because "it's an interesting notion as to how much you can really protect and isolate your lives from the rest of the world, and, really, how good an idea is that anyway" RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF. The young girls' ball gowns are pristine white. Jewels sparkle at their throats. The young men's tuxedos are natty Carnations sprout from their buttonholes. The grown-ups appear prosperous and proud.

But in a flash, the atmosphere changes. There's a man down on the marble dance floor, felled by a fellow partygoer's brutal punch. A beautiful girl rushes forward, leaning over him and exclaiming, "Daddy, Daddy, are you OK?" No wonder the makeup instructions on the day's call-sheet read: "Jimmy's bloodied; Maris-sa's tears." Jimmy Cooper is a wealthy financier. Marissa is his daughter. Played by Tate Donovan and Mischa Barton, they're pivotal characters in Fox's new drama series The O.C, premiering today at 9 p.m.

on CTV (channel 42, cable 13) and Fox (channel 2, cable 7). The hour-long show is the network's latest attempt to capitalize on an exclusive Southern California milieu. The O.C. is set in Orange County, once considered a suburban backwater as compared with famously hip Beverly Hills, 90210 or Melrose Place but now catching on as a new hot spot for cool culture. The Warner Bros.

TV production was created by 26-year-old Josh Schwartz. He's from Providence, R.I., but went to film school at the University of Southern California, which, he says, many wealthy Orange County children "are sort of bred to attend." That gave him "some outsider insight into that world," which he utilized at a development meeting at the production company formed by McG (director of the Charlie's Angels films), who did First, there are so many expecta tions. The Hulk has been around since 1962 and has legions of admirers, from comic book readers to fans of Lou Per-rigno hulking out on the original TV show in the 1970s. And now there is director Ang Lee's big screen Hulk. "There's really three types of Hulk you have to kind of deal with," said Bennison, whose title at Radical is se--nior producer.

"It was tough to combine them all and deliver on everybody's expectations. "And the other tough thing about this particular character is he's so powerful," Bennison continued. "So when you put him in a game, well he's unstoppable, he's indestructible, he can't be killed. He can break through anything. He can jump 100 miles.

He regenerates his health. Throwing 10 guys at him isn't going to stop him." The good news for designers is that the Hulk is susceptible to electrical force fields. So he has an Achilles heel Bennison, 39, says the toughest challenge was how to make the player feel like the Hulk. "I think probably more than many of the super hero games that have come out, we actually delivered on that and we've got reviewed well on that aspect, because when you pick up the controller, you feel like you're driving thid 10-foot strongest guy in the universe." CLUBBING Saturday, 10:15 p.m. Canusa Restaurant THE STAR ON THE WEB E-mail The Star's newsroom at: lettersthestar.canwest.com Visit our Web site at: www.canada.comwindsor THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Dfl THE WINDSOR STAR 255-5711 mm NOW PLAYING: Fri.

July 28th Thur. Aua.Ttil uaiiy i.ou RUQRATS GO WILD Daily 11:55 FINDING NEMO Tues 11:45 2:10 4:35 7:00 9:30 Wed.Thurs 1 1:45 2:10 4:35 7 JOHNNY ENGLISH Daily 1:10 3:40 7:30 10:00 BRUCE ALMIGHTY Tues 2:20 6:30 9:20 Wed, Thurs 12:00 2:30 6:30 THE ITALIAN JOB Tues 2:00 4:45 7:35 1 0:25 Wed, Thurs 2:00 4:40 7:35 10:25 28 DAYS LATER Daily 1:30 5:00 8:1010:55 CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE Tues 12:10 3:10 6:40 9:40 Wed, Thurs 9:40 THE RISE OF THE MACHINES Tues 1:20 4:20 8:00 10:50 Wed, Thurs 1:20 4:30 8:00 10 50 SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS Tues. 12:00 HOW TO DEAL Tues 12:40 3:30 7:40 10:30 Wed, Thurs 9:20 LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER Tues 12:20 1 :00 3:20 4:30 7:20 7:50 10:10 10 40 Wed, Thurs 1:00 3:20 4:10 7:20 7:50 10:10 10:40 SEABISCUIT RWCDVS (NO PASSES) Daily 12:30 4:00 7:10 10:20 FREAKY FRIDAY AMERICAN WEDDING (14A) (No Passes 2:00, 4:00 7:1 5, 9:30 05 (PO) (PC) (PC) (MA) (O) PG) (PG) (POJ () (G) SPY KIDS 3D Daily 2:15, 7:00, 9:00 (PO) JOHNNY ENGLISH Daily 4:1 5 only Disney's PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN IPG) Daily 2:30, 6:30, 9:15 Bst Box Offlc Pric In Wlndsorl CMMAmTiiMMat 14.29, damnl IS.SO lwyw.fgclnema.com 004776M Wed, Thurs 12:40 1:40 3:30 4:20 7:00 7:40 9:30 10:30 SB Box Ofllce opens at 1:00 pm AMERICAN WEDDING (Digital) (14AI Tues to Thurs at 12:40 1:00 1:20 3:40 4:00 4:20 6:40 7:00 7 20 9 40 10:00 10:20 GiGII (Digital) iSTC, Tues to Thurs at 1 2:55 3:55 6:55 9:55 SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER (Digital) (G) Tues to Thurs at 12:30 12:50 1:15 2:30 3:50 4:15 4:30 6:50 715 9:00 9:25 BAD BOYS 2 (Digital) M8A) Tues to Thurs at 1 2:35 1 :05 3:35 4:05 6:35 7:05 9:35 1 0:05 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (Digital) (PG) Tues to Thurs at 12:45 1:10 3:45 4:10 6:45 7:10 9:45 1010 LEGALLY BLONDE 2 (Digital) idqi Tues to Thurs at 1 :25 4:25 7:25 9:50 HULK (Digital) idq, Tues to Thurs at 6:30 9:30 AMERICAN WEDDING (14A) Daily at 1:404:107:009:20 BAD BOYS 2 (18A) Daily at 3:40 6:45 9:30 TOMB RAIDER 2 (PG) Daily at 1 :30 4:00 7:1 0 9:40 WfiA EwZvZZS JCmmmmi 'CmmamSi 1270 WALKER RD. Kelly Hoppe of Big Sugar cranks out the sound Saturday night on a saxaphone while performing with local bluegrass fusion band Train 45 at the Canusa Restaurant and Tavern on Tecumseh Road East In Windsor. Star photo: Tim Fraser SEABISCUIT (PG) JOHNNY ENGLISH (PG) Daily at 1:50 only 3 PRIME wants you to win 2 nights In any Howard Johnson Hotel In Canada 1 A ft A Pius tree days cruising in a convertible from Dollar Rent A Car For your chance to win log on to canada.com.

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